Students Lead The Charge Bringing Micro-Market to the College of Business

Since the establishment of the Student Business Incubator and various innovation-focused competitions and events the Bisk College of Business has been overflowing with entrepreneurial spirit. Few students are more concerned with the concepts of entrepreneurship than those taking Tim Muth’s Foundations in Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship II. Mr. Muth’s students are exposed to concepts of entrepreneurship and developing a business model before being challenged to go make it happen.

While simulating the launch of a new business venture is the requirement, some students go a step further. College of Business students Margo McClintic and Thomas Haynie took that extra step and now have left a lasting mark on the halls of Babcock Oaks.

“We went around campus and asked people if they could solve a problem on campus, what would it be? The answer was to have food available at the College of Business, which is half a mile off campus. After weeks of market research, we found the perfect option was Avenue C by Canteen. Canteen is our food vending service provider on campus, so it wasn’t a problem to add Avenue C on the contract.”

Avenue C by Canteen is a self-service micro-market that offers a wide variety of different products like coffee, fruit and even a refrigerated case with items like burgers and salads. The location in the College of Business is one of 8 in Brevard County.

“Our biggest challenge was meeting the needs of everyone. Many students wanted Starbucks, but a year or so ago Starbucks ended their licensing program. Fortunately, our campus dining services and Canteen had a grandfathered license so we were able to offer a Starbucks coffee bar. The next challenge we tackled was to find a way to use our Panther ID Card to purchase items from Avenue C. Thankfully paperwork to solve that problem should be finalized soon.”